Reclining self-adjusting chair



Sept. 23, 1952 L. MCKiNNEY ET AL RECLINING SELF-ADJUSTING CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIL-z2.

Filed DeG. 26, 1945 nal'- JNVENTORS LL. /Wc/f//v/VE Y BY L.HM/(//V/VE y Sept. 23, 1952 L. l.. MCKINNEY ETAL 2,611,419

RECLINING SELF-ADJUSTING CHAIR Filed Dec'. 26, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 www@ Sept. 23, 1952 L. L. MCKINNEY ETAL RECLINING SELF-ADJUSTING- CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 26, 1945 INVENTORS BY LH. MCK//v/YEY Sept.23, 1952 L. L.. MCKINNEY ET AL 2,611,419

RECLINING SELF-ADJUSTING CHAIR Filed Deo. 26, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 23,` 1952 l UNITED errar-ss s TENT oFFlcE e v Q .".``fz,11,419,

A -REcLmiNG sELF-ADUSTING CHAIR y `Leon` LfMcKinney and Lucius H. McKinney, Q"

Hartford, Conn. y Appumupnec'emher ze, 1945, serial No. nazis` This invention relates tocertain new yand useful improvements infa reclining Vseli-az'ijusting chaini f- Y f One oil the'principal objectsofthe ypresent in ventionv isV to provide a: reclining self-adjusting chair Aof vcomplete steel construction to fgive strengthv and` rigidity thereto, with the exception of the canvas seat, back,` and leg rest. Y,

Another-object of the-invention is .tof-provide a' recliningA self-,adjusting chair' that vincludes a ground-supported stand upon which theswingf ing chair per se is pivotally suspended, with the chair comprised of back,v seat, .sand leg bars hingedly connected infa manner whereby a person seated therein will `by, body pressure convert the chair from an upright to a reclining position. y A further object of theinvention isto provide a chair structure of the foregoing character wherein a ground-supported stand pivotallysupports Va reclining chair that .is formed of hingedly connected. back, seat, and leg` portions,witha foot bar lat the lower endsv of the leg yportions adapted in the presence vof, pressure exerted thereon by an occupant o'f the chair toeifect pivotal movements o f the chair bars to causev the chair'to be converted from an upright-to a reclining position.

Y It is a further object of `the invention 'topprovide a reclining self-adjusting chair wherein a pivctally suspended chair frame comprised of hingedly connected back, seat,and leg bars-has a canvas stripadjustably mounted at opposite ends upon the back and 'leg 'bars for the positioning of such stripcomfortably to suit occupants of different weights.

With the above and other objects `in view that will become lapparentes the natureof the invention is better understood,v the same consists in the novel form, combinationY and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure -1 is a side elevational view of a reclining self-adjusting chair constructed `in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 Vis a front elevational view'of thech'air.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the footrest with portions of the legs' of the chair illustrated by dotted lines,

Figure 4 isV a vertical cross-sectional view showing the chairinv upright position in full lines and in reclining position in dotted 'linesand' illustrating the'mannerof attaching the canvas back, seat, and leg rest tothe chairper se, y 4"'-'teig-ure 5 isa Afragmentary perspective- View `1 caen. (c1. 15s-sr) portion of the chair,

showing the pivotal support between yopposite sidesof the chair and the supportingstand," Figure is a verticalcross-sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Figure 2, showing themounting of'a canopy on the supporting stand ofthe chair, Figure 7 is a top plan viewk with thecanopy pole shown in sec/tion. and; y j Figure 8 isa detail sectional view showingjthe lower ends oi the leg portions of thechair perse, with, the adjustably mounted cross rod for the attachment of the lowerend of the canvas seat detail to the accompanying drawings, the reclining rself-adjustingv chair comprises a ground-supported stand with a chair per se pivotally suspended between side portions of the stand, the latter comprising a pair of spaced members forming `the side portions of the stand with each side portion having a'lower Referring more in horizontal bar I0 twisted and rolled'at itsends to provide ground-engaging feet. A perpendicu` lar rod I2 rises from the horizontal bar I0 intere mediate the ends thereoi` and is anchored thereto as at I3 and a pair of upwardly convergingrod's I4 anchored at their lower ends 'as at I5 v respectively adjacent the feet II are'secured at their upper ends by the rivet I6 to the perpendicular rod' I2 adjacent its upper end. The connection between the two side frame members of the ground-supporting stand includes a pair of truss rods I1 arranged in crossed relation and Aanchored together at their crossing point'sby a rivet I8with `the spaced divergent ends anchored by rivets ornut and bolt combinations I9 lto the perpendicular rod. I2. With a structure (if-"the foregoing character a strong and substantial ground-supporting frame is provided for the Dive otally suspended recliningV chair that is disposed between the side members of the stand. i'

The-reclining chair per sek isalso of metallic construction, except for the canvas seat portion and comprises a pair of back bars 2!,a pair of seat bars 2|, and a pair of frontlegbars 22.1A cross rod 23 extends between the upper; 'ends `of the back bars 20 and is selectively mountedzand retained in spaced openings lZII in rsaid bars' for purposes presently to appear. The lower ends of the back bars are pivotally connected asat 25 to the seat bars 2l adjacent their rear'en'dsfand the rear ends of said seat bars are archeddownwardly as at 26. A cross rod 21 extends between the front leg bars 22 below the upper endsthereof and the forward ends of the seat -bars 2.I-- are pivotally supported on the cross rod-2l. A, secondcross rod 28 extends between the seat bars 2| 'slightly' rearwardly of the cross rod"21. A

bars 2| and forming therewith a parallelogram` in both upright and reclining positions of the chair.

The pivotal support for the reclining chair per se on the ground-supporting stand is shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6 and comprises a pair of suspension bars 34 and 35 respectively connected at their lower ends as at 36 tothe arm supporting bars 3| and the pivotal connection 33 between the back bars 2| and the arm supporting bars 3|, while their upper ends straddl'e and are pivotally connected as at 31 to the upwardly arched and downwardly and inwardly bent upper end 38 of the perpendicular rod |2. It will be noted that the suspension bars 35 are of angular formation to provide arm space adjacent the back portion of the chair. As illustrated -more clearly in Figure 4, the canvas back, seat and leg rest portion of the chair comprises a back portion looped around and anchored as at 40 to the cross rod 23. at the upper ends of the baci:j bars 20, the canvas strip vadjacent the rear ends of the seat bars being folded upon itself and stitched together as at 4| to form a loop 42 that is anchored to the cross rod 43 extending between the lower ends of the arched portions 26 of the seat bars 2 From the stitched portion 4| of the canvas extends the seat portion 44 thereof that freely extends over the cross rods 28 and 21 and is then directed downwardly to form a leg rest portion 45 that is looped at its lower end as at 46 to inclose the cross rod 29 adjacent the lower ends of the front leg bars 22. It will berunderstood that by adjusting the cross rods 23 and 29 respectively in the back and leg bars 28 and 22, the seat may be thrown to either the front or rear to compensate for the weight of the occupant of the chair. Also, the degree of reclining movement of the chair may be limited by the placement of pins in selected openings 41 formed in the front leg portions slightly above the cross rod 21 with the pins engageable with the seat bars 2| to limit such reclining movements. A substantially U-shaped foot rest 48 has the side leg portions 49 thereof pivotally mounted as at58 upon the lower ends of the front leg portions so that by exerting leg pressure on the foot rest and back pressure on the chair back,' the latter is automatically shifted from an upright to av reclining position. In event of a chair occupant being unable to reach the foot rest 48, an auxiliary U-shaped rest 5| has its slide legs pivotally mounted as at 52 upon the side legs 49 of the main foot rest.

rIn the above assemblage, the second cross rod 28, although seemingly inactive, provides an irnportant service in maintaining the freedom of operation. This will be understood from the fact that the skeletonized framing of which the seat structure is composed is so formed that each of the members of the quadrangular side formations are vconnected for pivotal movement to permit the movements between upright and reclining '4 positions. The skeletonized formation tends to limit the bearing possibilities and this, due to the length of the span between the front cross rod 21 and the crossrod 43, can tend to aifect the articulating movements of the framing. Cross rod 28. having no pivotal movement action. but xedly connecting the front portions of the seat bars, holds the latter against spreading or other lateral movement through the fixed and permanent spacing provided by rod 28, the latter equalizing the relationships set up through the presence of the quadrangular side frames. As a result, the movements of the pivoted members are maintained uniformly similar, thus assuring proper operation of the assembly despite the skeletonized formation of its members.

While the` cross rod 28 tends to provide a rigid support at the front of the seat additional to that provided by cross rod 21, the two rods are sumciently close together as to not materially `affect the seating or reclining postures of the user. In fact, the presence of rod 28 is actually serviceable in this connection through the fact that the seat portion which overlies rod 21 and which wouldnormally be subject to Wear conditions dueto the abrupt bend around the rod, is instead led'rearward in constant direction with the latter then continued as the regular seating direction, thus preventing any eiect on the seat tending to cause excessive wear under service conditions.

A pair of vertically spaced tubular guide straps 53 are anchoredv as at 54 to one of the perpendicular rods"|2 for the reception of the stand polev55 ofa canopy 58 that overlies the chair. An article-supporting tray 51 is carried by a clamp attachment 58 engageable with the perpendicular rod I2 at the opposite side of the stand.

From` the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope'of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

In a reclining, self-adjusting chair of the characterdescribed, a ground supported stand comprising vertical side frame members and cross struts connecting the same, a self-adjusting reclining chair pivotally suspended between the frame members at the upper ends thereof, said chair having pivotally connected back. seat and front leg frame bars and arm rests for the chair comprising bars pivotally connected to the back bars above their lower ends and to the upper ends of the front leg bars in parallel with the seat bars, said seat frame bars having extensions projecting outwardly and downwardly from the point of pivotal connection of said back and seat frame bars, the upper ends of said back frame bars having a plurality of spaced apertures therein and a cross rod therebetween movably secured in said apertures, the lower ends-of said leg frame bars having a plurality of spaced apertures therein and a cross rod therebetween movably secured in said apertures, a cross rod flxedly secured to .the free ends of the extensions of said seat frame bars, a cross rod fixedly secured to the seat frame bars adjacent the forward ends thereof, a fabricstrip ,having one end looped over said upper back frame cross rod, its opposite end looped over said lower leg frame cross rod, and a loop intermediate said ends encompassing said seat frame extension cross rod, said adjustable upper and lower cross rods in conjunction with said intermediate loop permitting the seat portion of said fabric strip to be moved forwardly or backwardly relative to said frame bars and thus vary the center of gravity of said chair when occupied and provide adjustment in balance to fit variations .in individual users.

LEON L. MCKINNEY. LUQIUS MCKINNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 303,551 Arnold Aug. 12, 1884 390,059 Berninghaus Sept. 25, 1883 603,408 Palmer May 3, 1898 766,836 Miller Aug. 9, 1904 854,544 Thompson May 2i, 1907 1,921,460 Euring Aug. 8, 1933 2,200,881 Fry May 14, 1940 

